Evaluation of symptom checker formats to support health literacy and trust in AI: results from an online randomised-controlled trial.

Digital symptom checkers are increasingly used by patients for self-diagnosis and disease management, yet the impact of explicitly disclosing generative AI involvement remains underexplored. This Australian preprint randomized trial of adults given a case of hypothetical symptoms finds that AI assisted advice improved self-management knowledge and lowered stated intention to go to the doctor for a low-acuity illness. Importantly, disclosing AI use did not reduce user trust or acceptability, supporting safe integration of AI-powered tools without undermining patient confidence.